Regionalisms, Slang and Strine: Australian Slang by Region.
Research by Mark McCrindle and McCrindle Research on the Australian language. Slang and language varies from one region to another. Even in one nation, people use different words to describe the same thing. A number of regions, cities, and schools have their own slang terms which baffle people even from neighbouring areas! Words that are understood more or less nationwide can be much more prevalent or popular in some parts than elsewhere. To illustrate, the afternoon in the east coast (ViC, NSW, and QLD) is arvo whereas in South Australia it is aftie. The kid’s chasing game – i.e. being ‘safe’ – is bar in New South Wales, whereas it is barleys in Western Australia, South Australia, and Victoria. Similarly, an unsophisticated person in the outer suburbs of Sydney and Melbourne is a westie, whereas in the more affluent areas of Brisbane’s western suburbs this person is called a bogan or bevan, and in places where the western suburbs are coastal (i.e. Perth and Adelaide) such a person is called a boonie.
